To Break Free
by Ashley-Paige
Summary: Draco has a mission. One he isnt taking a great liking. Now he's working both sides, and he is going to fight back to what has been ruling his life since the day he was born. And along the fight he finds that what he's protecting is what he needs the most
1. Just the Beginning

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters, they are of course owned by the wonderful J.K. Rowling. The plot and all other ideas are owned by me, as well as anything that you do not recognize. Please review, it is much appreciated. I will try to update as much as possible. Probably as fast as the ideas come to me. Read, I hope you enjoy.

The beginning of the school year was weighing down on Draco Malfoy's mind. He had been thinking about the happenings of last year's school term, and it made his stomach crawl and retch as he thought of what he had been told to do. To kill another wizard, that in his mind, was one of the foulest a person could do. He closed his eyes and again the scene closed in around him, the dark tower. His whole body was shaking with tremors and his palms were sweating profusely, it all still seemed a dream as Dumbledore appeared in the tower. Snape was whispering in his ear about what needed to be done. The sourness of his breath tickled at his neck and ear. Dumbledore looked broken and it terrified him even more, he had never seen the Headmaster look like that. He knew Dumbledore to be strong and invincible, nothing like this.

A knock at his door brought him out of his reverie. He stood up from his large four poster bed and made his way to the door. He pulled it open and his mother was standing there looking at him with pure fear etched on her face.

"The Dark Lord would like to see you, Draco. Please listen to everything he says and do whatever he asks of you. Our family needs to bend to his every command, " she whispered as if the Dark Lord could hear.

She scurried away down the hall and into a room away from the happenings in the sitting room. He wished to follow her or move even further away, but instead he moved toward the steps that led down into the large entry way, adorn with the family portraits, most of them were moving, a couple were sleeping in their frames. All of them looked dark and menacing, but Draco had become so used to them, that he walked passed them without a second glance.

He entered the sitting room. The light was very dim, lit only by the fire in the large hearth. The room was very big, as many of the rooms in Malfoy Manor. Lucius Malfoy was sitting in a chair in a dark corner of the room. He was barely visible, bit his paleskin in the dim firelight gave him away. And there in front of the fire, stood the man Draco had always feared. His serpent like face, gleamed in the light. His skin was even paler then his fathers. And it gave the impression that he was actually glowing.

"Draco, I'm glad you have decided to join us." Voldemort hissed as he caressed the top of his Nagni's head.

"Yes, sir. I heard you wanted to see me." Draco stated as if he wasn't afraid.

"Yes, indeed, I did send for you. You have another duty." He turned around to face Draco.

"I wish to do your bidding, my Lord." Draco had closed his mind in order to lie.

"You are to return to Hogwarts, this mudblood Granger, you are to seduce her and draw her to our side. She, although a mudblood, is very brilliant and is a friend to my enemy. I need her and this is your only job." He again hissed.

"Yes , my Lord." Draco bowed, turned then left the room.

When Draco entered his room, he reopened his mind as he often had to do after he had encounters with the "Dark Lord." He threw himself on the bed, he thought of Hermione Granger, he thought of her curly hair, her soft skin, he thought of her laugh, and her smile. He thought of everything that he had watched and yearned for all of these years. He could never imagine giving someone of that purity to someone so dark. He wouldn't, he just wouldn't, he would have to get in kind with her and tell her what Voldemort wanted of her. She would have to be warned, and he would have to plan it very carefully. He hated the planning, he hated the lies. What he didn't hate was getting close to her. Finally getting to show her his real side, and maybe soon he would be able to get away from this life he so hated. He would be able to start a new life without the darkness, without the misery. He couldn't wait for a life that was lead by him and no one else. To him that was his only dream, and he had never dreamed for anything else.

A/N: And that's the end to chapter one. I hope you liked it. Updates with be coming soon. Keep reading.

Love.


	2. The Last Train Ride

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters, JK Rowling has full rights. But I myself wish to give them my own twist. Reviews are most loved and appreciated. I hope you enjoy.

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In the passing weeks, Voldemort had required his presence a lot, which lead Draco into exhaustion. It was necessary to close his mind. The thoughts that filled it would surely result in the extermination of him. Draco's true intentions, which could end up leading to his whole family's demise. He had to make full sure that didn't happen.

When he was alone he spent most of his time resting, and thinking of how he would get the wittiest witch to befriend him, it seemed such an impossible task. It seemed even more impossible, when he thought of how to do this on top of getting away from the most horrid wizard of all time. The jobs that were set in front of him were difficult, but he didn't dare give up. His surrender may lead to some pain that he himself may have been able to prevent. From now on he vowed that he would no longer cause heart ache to anyone.

Voldemort and Lucius had gone over and over it with him again and again. He would befriend her, and slowly turn her by lies, well planned lies, and when she was seduced and well convinced, he would bring her to him. Then he would have his way with her, she would be wandering blindly in to a trap, a trap in which he would be leading her.

It was the night before his departure, when Lucius pulled him off to the side to have a word.

"Draco," he started, "you must do exceedingly well at what the Dark Lord has sent you to do. If you do well our family may again be put in his good graces. Our family has been accustomed to this for a long time. We are not used to the unliked side of him, as you yourself have seen. I will expect nothing less from you then you're utmost effort in this task." He finished by glancing behind his shoulder.

"Yes, father, my greatest effort shall be put forth." Draco nodded at him, as an understanding.

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Hermione smiled, as she boarded Hogwarts Express with her best friends. Her summer had been absolutely wonderful. There had been marriages, and babies had been born. A summer with games of Quidditch and large meals. Constant business with common household tasks that all the Weasleys had grumbled about. Yet they all knew what dark cloud lay ahead of them. Most tried to ignore the misery to come, and just basked in the wonders that were knocking at the door at this very moment. Harry of coarse hadn't taken much liking to this at first, but as the festivities had worn on, accepted whole heartedly.

The three of them found their way to the compartment that held the presences of Neville, Ginny, and Luna, who were talking frantically about their summers. Ginny was in the middle of explaining how Aunt Muriel, ended the reception by puking on the bride at Bill and Fleur's wedding. Neville was in a teary laughter now and Luna, though she had been there when it happened, was clutching the stitch in her side. They sat down across from the three and at once Harry and Ron, began to throw in their input to make the story more real. Then Ron even pulled the picture of it out of his trunk and more laughter exploded in the compartment.

Hermione who herself had not found the incident a bit funny in the first place, took no part in the retelling of the story. She instead pulled out her book 'Hogwarts, A History' and began reading it for what seemed to be the hundredth time but she was sure that it had been plenty more than that. She had just finished reading the second chapter when Dennis Creevey had quietly pulled open the compartment door, "Hermione," he said barely a whisper. "You're needed at the front of the train for a Head Girl, umm thing, shoot what did they call it? Oh, I forget. You won't tell will you? I wasn't supposed to forget." He looked frantic.

"No, of course I won't tell, it'll be our secret." She smiled at him as she stood up and went off to the front of the train. On her journey she continually had to resist the urge not to stop and confiscate things, or keep older students from picking on the younger ones. She instead wondered who had got the Head Boy position instead. She went through all of the possible candidates and weighed them in her head. She couldn't imagine who would have gotten it. A few Ravenclaw boys she thought would be the best candidates. rnie Macmillan, he was good too, and she had almost come to a guess when out of a compartment, stepped Draco Malfoy.

She stopped as if an invisible wall had appeared right in front of her. She blinked hard a couple of times to try to wiped his image from her mind, as if he were only an illusion created by her mind. But still there he stood looking at her. The look on his face made it even harder for her to imagine he was real. Instead of the arrogant smile, or the 'I'm better then you' grimace that usually painted his face, there was a look of worry, a look of concern and hurt, and maybe even wanting. As she looked closer she noticed that he may have even looked sad.

She turned her gaze from his and carried on down the hall of the train to the very front compartment on the left. Inside stood Professor McGonagall, her hair was in its usual tight bun at the top of her head, but Hermione could see the dark circles beneath her eyes and the tired look about her face. "Good afternoon, Professor." Hermione stated just as Draco enter the compartment behind her. She felt her heart drop, _he_ would be Head Boy. She would have to stay in the same room with the boy who had come so close to murdering innocent Dumbledore. She would have to share a room with a death eater, someone who constantly shot the word 'mudblood' around, like it was the word 'hello'. With someone who hated her as much as she hated him. How had this happened, how had he been allowed to come back to school, and how had he become Head Boy? The questions swam through her mind as McGonagall began giving them directions as to their duties. As a result Hermione was required to pull herself to the present task at hand.

"Now, patrolling duties can be shared or you may split them up. However you feel will best suit you. You will be sharing a room. There are separate bedrooms, but you will have to share a common room and a bath. It's not difficult, as soon as we pull in to Hogsmeade station, you both will be required to give the prefects their passwords, so they can administer them to the students. After the feast is over you will need to stay behind and make sure there aren't any students who were left out on getting their passwords. Ravenclaw you needn't worry about, they do not have passwords. There is no patrolling tonight, so you will need to discuss it for tomorrow." She spoke to them both directly and handed them the passwords for the prefects. "I believe that's it. Do you have any questions?"

They both shook their heads at her and went to leave the compartment. They bumped into each other as they both tried to leave through the door at the same time.

"Sorry." Malfoy muttered. Hermione blinked hard again.

"Excuse me?" She asked rather loudly, more loudly then she had intended.

"I said I'm sorry." He reinstated and fell through the door and up the hall of the train.

He had quite left her baffled, as well as impressed to see that a Pureblood could ever lower himself enough to say 'I'm sorry' to a mere Mudblood. She wandered up the hall, the path Malfoy had taken only moments ago. She thought of him the whole way to her compartment. The questions from before still flitting through her mind as well as new ones, about his polite gestures, the absence of his rude comments, and only now the look that had been plastered on his face. It was similar to his look last year but now it was more prominent, like he had finally been broken. Hermione wasn't sure, but she probably would be figuring it out, after all she had to spend a whole year with him. Those were her last thoughts as she stepped into the loud compartment where her friends were seated setting off tiny Weasley's Wizard Wheezes fireworks, which were making an amazing display in the car. She sat down, she would start her duties as soon as they pulled up to the station, until then she was going to enjoy herself, with her closest friends.

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A/N: I hope you enjoyed it. The thoughts just keep coming to me so I keep writing. Please review.

Love.


	3. Just Maybe

Disclaimer: As you know I don't own any of these characters, and I don't pretend to. They are someone else's ideas, and I just wish to elaborate on them. Please read and enjoy. And reviews are most appreciated.

As soon as he had stepped off the train, his stomach was feeling ill all over again. He could see everything as if it were the day it happened. He was letting himself be washed over with this feeling, until he heard Hermione behind him. "Stop that; don't pick on the first years." She yelled over the loud noise of the bustling crowd of students. She had already started her duties, and with this Draco assumed his must start.

The trip to the castle seemed as long as it ever could have been, he and Hermione weren't allowed to ride in the carriages. They were required to stay behind and round up any slackers. They put the last students in their carriages, in turn started their trek up the ground and through the gate of Hogwarts. The large castle sort of shone, all the lights in the castle were lit giving it a kind of eerie look.

Draco could feel the tension in the air, he had noticed it the second that he had stepped out of that compartment on the Hogwarts Express. It had eased slightly, but still lay very thick around them. He had thought of these moments so many times in his bedroom back at Malfoy Manor, and still the planning had made no difference. Her presence had always left him in a stunned sort of phase, it had always been Potter or Weasley that had caused the great backlash he had against her. The comments, the names, the gestures, were all a result of something that she herself had not caused. It pained him slightly as he thought of this, he wanted to stop her, grab her arm and explain his life, his reasoning's, and his plan to keep her safe. He instead kept his composure, and his arms at his side. She would never believe him if he told her, she had no reason to. He again loathed himself a little more; he had almost come to completely hating himself.

The feast carried on as it always had. Malfoy had taken his seat in between Crabbe and Goyle, in his usual spot, the one he had been sitting in for six years. He glanced up and down the table at the front of the room; Professor McGonagall sat in the place where Dumbledore himself would usually occupy. Snape was nowhere to be seen, Slughorn sat still in the potion teachers spot and a new teacher was sitting in the Defense Against the Dark Arts seat. She was sitting tall and proud in her seat, and she had a very kind look covering her face as she spoke to Madame Hooch. Her hair was of a dark brown and fell neatly on her shoulders. She had eyes that were violet and twinkled in the candlelight.

All the students in the hall quieted as Professor McGonagall stood, they all had taken notice to the authority she now held. Professor Flitwick stepped through the main entrance of the hall, shortly followed by all of the first year students. Most of them glanced around the in a sort of terrified manner, while some of them looked as if they refused to peel their eyes away from the floor. The sorting started as usual and when they were finished McGonagall stood again.

"Welcome, to another year at Hogwarts. As you have all noticed I have taken the place as Headmistress, I will be following the same rules as Dumbledore himself followed for all these years pass. I wish to assist anyone who needs it, and as Dumbledore would have I am willing to hear anything from my students. And with that being said, I would like to introduce our new teacher. She will be teaching all of you Defense Against the Dark Arts. May I now introduce, Professor Lake Calypso Campbell." Professor McGonagall presented the new teacher who stood and made a kind of bow as the students and other teachers clapped. "Now, we will have our meal, and retire to our rooms for the night. You must all be well rested for the first classes tomorrow."

He sat as the food appeared on the tables, and the students began eating. Draco had no appetite, he rarely had these days. Instead he picked at his food, glancing a few tables over and watched Hermione as she ate and laughed with her friends. Draco wondered what that would be like, to have friends, real friends. Friends to have fun with, to laugh with, to not have fear of saying something that would get back to a greater power. He continued to dream about what real friends would be like as he watched her from across the room.

The festivities had died down as the students filed through the doors, and Draco fell back as McGonagall had instructed, and as the students thinned he saw Hermione standing a fair distance away. He kept away from her, and instead gave passwords to the students who needed them. The students had all gone and they were the only two left, as he wonder what to say to her, he realized that he didn't know where their dormitory was. She must have taken notice to this fact too.

"Where is our room?" She strode up to him.

"I have no idea." He stated. "I figured you would know."

"No, I have no idea." She glanced around. "Well what are we going to do now?"

Draco could only shrug his shoulders, basking in the fact they were actually having a civilized conversation. He wondered if she could tell that his heart was beating very fast or that his mind was reeling. He loved that there was no hostility between them.

As if their prayers have been answered, Professor McGonagall came sauntering down the hall. "Hermione, Draco, I nearly forgot your room is on the third floor, the second corridor behind the painting of the house elf. The password is 'unity'." She continued down the hall to her intended destination.

They set off, she barely paid any attention to him on the journey to the room. He had however noticed, that every few moments she would glance at him from the corner of her eye. He tried to act as if he hadn't noticed. If it had been the old Draco, he would have pointed it out the second he noticed, he would have called her a Mudblood. He would have made unrightful accusations, but now he felt a pleased feeling rush through him.

After entering their room, they went straight for their proper rooms.

"Goodnight, Hermione." Draco called as he walked up the stairs to his own dormitory.

Hermione walking up her own stairs, turned at these words, and felt a smile creep to her lips.

A/N: I hope you enjoyed. Please review. I really really really appreciate them.

Love.


	4. Words of Kindness

**Disclaimer: Hello again. As you know I do not own any characters you recognize, they belong to the wonderful JK Rowling. I do however own the characters you do not recognize, so please respect that. Read and enjoy.**

**The following day ran its expected course and after Hermione had showered, she met Ron and Harry in the Great Hall. Last night's occurrences were still racing through her mind. On top of everything else she now had to wonder about Draco's kindness. First he had spent more than a minute with her and hadn't made a single comment. Second, he had called her Hermione. Hermione! Imagine that, the pureblood prince of Slytherin had called her by her first name. She couldn't let Harry or Ron know anything about this kindness, they would start formulating plans that she herself hadn't even got the chance to formulate yet.**

**She had half hoped to meet Draco on her way out that morning, but with no such luck. He was nowhere to be seen when she made her way into the Great Hall, she had glanced at the Slytherin table and there had been no platinum blonde boy sitting amongst them. She furthered her steps to meet the boys, who were complaining about their schedules.**

"**Divinination, Potions, and Transfiguration today? You figure that they would take the classes everyone disliked and split them up to different days." Ron groaned.**

"**Well think of it this way. All of your disliked classes will be over for the week in one day." Hermione said looking over her own schedule. Muggle Studies, Potions, and Transfiguration. Not a bad schedule, she looked further down the list to find Defense Against the Dark Arts. Tomorrow she would get to meet the new teacher, and she was looking forward to it.**

"**And with the Slytherins?" Ron groaned again. "Why do we always get stuck with the Slytherins?"**

**No one responded to his question, as they all picked up their things and went to their respective classes. She again looked for Draco, as she passed familiar faces in the hall. She entered her class, she gave the hall one last sweep. She would see him tonight, she was sure of it.**

**Classes for him had gone by very slowly and he gave a sigh of relief as he stepped in front of the house elf painting. He muttered the password, the elf nodded , and swung open. He stepped through the hole and threw his bags on the floor and fell onto one of the nearby sofas.**

**He had only just closed his eyes, when he heard the portrait swing open again. He opened his eyes and glanced over to see Hermione with arms full of books. Her back was to him, and he stepped around her and picked up a large number of books off of the top of her stack. He placed them on a nearby table. She seemed surprised at his gesture, but didn't refuse it none the less.**

"**What are these books for? Do you have homework already?" He asked her as she tossed her bag next to his.**

"**No they're for something else." She said and her cheeks flushed with a shade of rose. She also averted her eyes. He thought it would be best if he didn't press the subject any further. **

**They sat in the common room staring at the fire. Not a word was said but the tension in the air had disappeared. He could still see Hermione looking at him from the corner of her eye, as if trying to read him, to get inside his head. Like she wanted to know what he was thinking and feeling. He instinctively close his mind. He realized he had done so and again loosened the hold on it.**

**He knew nothing to say to her. He had never had to small talk with her, in fact he had never had to small talk in his life. So this seemed an impossible mission. She had sensed this, "So how were classes today?" she asked.**

"**The usual, I guess." He was fidgeting with the corner of the couch cushion. "And how were yours?"**

"**Oh absolutely amazing." Her face had lit up at his question. She began explaining in detail exactly what the teachers had said, and what they were going to learn this year. She blushed. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to.."**

**He cut her off. "Do you know you're absolutely brilliant?" He glanced at her for a moment before turning completely away staring at the draperies hang from the walls, depicting wizarding war scenes, and events from Hogwarts through the years.**

"**I'm what?" she asked pulling his attention back to her.**

**His grey eyes connected to her chocolate brown ones. "I said you're brilliant." This time his eyes refused to break contact with hers, and a smile caught at the corners of her lips. It was now his turn to blush. He had given her a compliment and she had accepted it. He wished it had always been this as long as he could remember he had wished that he could have a normal conversation with her, without the awkward silences, the lack of eye contact, and the unsure words.**

**When she stood, so did he, he watched her receding up the steps that belonged to her dormitory. He wished to call out to her but instead simply watched as she disappeared. He sat back at his place on the couch and gave a small sigh of relief. He closed his eyes, and saw the image of her smiling play back in his head. That had been a sensational image, and it was one he wished to see again many times.**

**He had only just gotten comfortable, in the cushions of the couch when he heard footsteps. He chose to ignore them, he instead played the evenings happenings over and over again in his head. "Goodnight, Draco." He heard and he quickly opened his eye. There he saw Hermione standing leaned up against the wall of the landing, she was in a blue nightgown, which hugged her every curve. She was looking at him curiously, which he had noticed she had been spending most of her time doing.**

"**Goodnight, Hermione." He said, his voice rather more husky then intended, and away up the stairs she went. Leaving him sitting in awe.**

**He didn't know what was happening. He hadn't expected any of this. He had expected her to treat him as scum, to not give him more than a glance, which is what he deserved. But instead they were acting as if they had been old friends, who hadn't seen each other in awhile. He contemplated all of this as he stood and walked up his own flight of steps. How had this happened, was honey actually sweeter then vinegar? Had his kindness made her forget how rude he had been? He had no answers, but he wasn't complaining. Hermione was good company,this was definately something he hadn't been used to. He was going to take the kindness as long as it was available. He needed some kindness.**

**A/N: Thanks for reading. I do hope you enjoyed. And if you could please review, as I am becoming very discouraged. I am going to try to make the chapters longer so please bare with me. Thank you.**

**Love.**


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